Distant travels, long-distant runaround. Its 9 days until I leave for Vancover, and the mini-pipe band competition, which leaves next friday, the 21st, at about 7 in the morning for an hour flight to Vancouver, where we will practise for 2 or more hours, and then have the day off to, enjoy our Hotel, oh how our band spoils us. We play on saturday, our two new marches, a 2/4 and 4/4, the 2/4 being The Taking Of Beaumont Hamel, and the 4/4 being called Morrison Avenue. No medley this year, because we are playing grade 5 competition, compaired to last years' grade 4. On sunday we return from Vancouver in the afternoon, about 12, in fact, and just for extra fun, by the time I get home, it'll be about 1 o'clock. Why does this time matter? Weelllll it happens that I leave less than 22 hours (the day will then be the Monday the 24th of March later to return to that same airport, to fly to Calgary.. And from Calgary, all 66 of us, are off to ENGLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY and AUSTRIA and don't return until APRIL 7 for 17 days. You betcha, Daria, no Stephen for 17 fuckin days! CELEBRATE, BITCH! As for the UK/Europe trip, 5 days in London/Bath, 1 day in Paris, 1 day in Salzburg, Austria, and the rest in Munich and Hamburg, Germany. In Hamburg, we are all staying at homestays for 4 days.. I will be staying with a young 15 year-old Jenny Eder, who lives right by the river. Should be nerve racking. Lucky they speak perfect English (I hope?!) In October, its likely that I will take a trip to England and Scotland with my sister as well.. Which means I will be 18, and legal! We'll see how my funds are..

But in other news, I finally got one of my dream basses, A Fender Geddy Lee (from Rush) signature Jazz bass, with a maple neck, black body with 50s styling, and white pick guard. Sounds fucking amazing, only costed $868.. Unfortunatly NOW, its a waste of $868.. Why? WELL, I did indeed get my band started up, and it was going AMAZING, two originals in the making, 2 completed covers, two more on the way.. All of us were into the same music, Rush, Yes, Alice Cooper, Genesis, Cream, The Who, stuff like that, especially Sam and I were into Progressive music, oh so into it.. Even begining to write a long progressive song, we had 5 minutes of it all written.. All of us were just jamming so well with each other, and then of course, I am in grade 12 now, senior year, last year of school,  so many of us are looking towards secondary education, for example, Sam, my guitarist. Me, not so much, I'd have to upgrade, which I wouldnt mind, but Sam, well he wanted to get into Grand MacKewan of Arts in Guitar.. so he put us on Hiatus so that he could practise 'properly' and get all his stuff down for his audition, which for 17 positions, ONLY 300+ signed up.. 'ONLY' is how he discribed it to me.. No worries, I figured, oh not so bad, once his audition is done, and he'll probably fail it.. We'll be back in business.. but no, his audition is on saturday, and we had set up practices to go for mondays, every monday at Richards (drummer) house... Unfortunately, Sam, AND Richard figure that we wont go back, Sam says he'll be too busy (frankly he has more time than me) and Richard wants to do some Ska music shit. Which is depressing, I LOVED playing with them, I looked forward to the next practice at the end of every practice.. I do not know anyone else into Rush and Yes and Genesis and The Flower Kings and proggy Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull and Dream Theatre and stuff. Nobody. Except for Arshaan, who I met at Rush in Calgary, but he lives on the other side of Edmonton and he has his own band already with his brother on bass. So I had begun auditions for a local metal band, with some good guys, Ryland and Michael, who I really get along with, but now I think thats off now, since we haven't really talked about it, we still talk almost every day too.. Oh the luck I have when I buy expensive stuff..

like my van, "I..van" (did you get that pun?) I buy it, the shop I work(ED) at, Westside Auto, says oh yeah, we'll put a rebuilt engine in there, and drop it over there next week, and give you your paycheck which should have amounted to about $2000..minus about 1200 for the engine and rebuild so $800...... A month past.. It begins to SNOW. So much for working on my bus before it snows.. I get it, and.. oh I can't start it.. I check the engine, seems dirty for a rebuilt engine, of course, it wasnt rebuilt.. And I'm misteriously missing some $800.. Hm.. Still considering a lawsuit here... Now though the snow is melting and I have ripped out the interior.. thats it so far, I doubt the due date of grad will be met, as of my trip and lack of time, maybe last week of school.. even thats tight. Oh the luck I have with expensive stuff, I wonder what will happen when I get a house..

Being in Grade 12, it means Graduation is coming up.. All my friends have dates, I probably wont go if a. Microbus isn't done, or 2. No date, not going stag while riding in my bus with my friends who have dates, yeah, NO. If I do go it'll be either a family *MacIntyre* kilt and traditional formal wear. or one of those older 3 piece tuxes, you know one with the vest.. or a mixture of the both.. With straightened hair, naturally.

RUSH IS COMING AGAIN! To Edmonton this time, and I have better than before seats! ROW 8 on the floor! Last time it was row 35. This time I bought 6 tickets on 2 on each row; rows 20, row 16 and 8 respectively.. Sold 20s to Ryland and mike, 16 to Lincoln and maybe Dustin (I hate the kid so if he doesn't pay me before I go, he isn't going to Rush) and Sam who will sit with me in row 8..

Head Rush

Rock on, and Peace.

Beat it to shittt.. I haven't written on here in a year or something.. Still hasn't changed a bit.. I think partly I haven't written because a. I've changed almost completely since I made this account... With a little help from my friends. But I have moved on.. and on.. When I started writing.. I still had short buzz cut.. didn't I?.. that means... AT LEAST THREE years ago..Daaamn... and I haven't had a girlfriend since.. though partly because I dont have any time for shit anymore.. AND I can't sleep!

Hmm major event since I last wrote.. Summer Games was when I wrote last.. BY THE WAY.. does anyone know by chance what happened last year between August 9th and August 12th 2006?? Because I found this note by my bed that had those dates, and an arrow that pointed to "What a waste".. What the hell?

Anyway back to major events of my life that have happened..that I remember at this time..

SCHOOL! Now that my first year back at school is over.. FUCKING SWEEEEEEEEET.. Those of you who hate school... learn to love it..No friends to being called Jesus, and having a ton of people knowing you, when you have no idea who they are..and the people are nice...made a Rush buddy named Sam, and another named Lincoln, and some other people..smoked a bit.. but I have since mostly quit (not that into it after I got to know a guy named Mason who smoked everyday..not what I want to turn out like)... good times.. and many to come.. passed gr. 11.. mostly.. (no science yet)

Dec. 2.. First Party...got wasted and made out with random chick named Lauren.. saw her once earlier this year at Spruce Grove outreach.. not a word said to or from.. Grounded for a few weeks because I didn't tell my parents where I was.. and I stayed over night..and lied that I didn't get drunk..

and I have a big empty bit between december and like.. march.. I only remember that my school was on strike and I had a month off where I did nothing much of anything..

Oh.. At bagpipes.. Im now part of the band.. play in competitions and parades.. Went to Saskatchewan (Moose Jaw-Regina) in like..May or something.. Oh god what a horrible trip that was.. we left Edmonton at 9 in the morning, and didn't get to Regina until 6:30PM!!! SOOO long and there was nothing to do on that damn bus!! Had Red Deer-Ellerslie in June.. 23-24th.. I wish I had been able to go to the HAMILTON highland games that weekend.. Just this saturday I have Fort Edmonton Highland games, which is one of my favorite games.. so far.. NEXT WEEK Im off to Ontario! for a week or so of Holidays with me and my Uncle David and maybe Aunt Josee and go to Toronto..  thinking of going to a Toronto F.C game too.. going to the Hersey Factory.. Wanted to go to Hamilton, but its too far and there's nothing there other than a person, so thats a downer. But then Im on a week long Competition after competition and parades and shows and stuff untill the 7th and im coming back.. Unfortunatly, everyone is likely to cut my hair for me which Im highly against, so I'll be bringing some knives, and make sure I buy some stuff to help my cause.. But I like wearing a kilt.. nice breeze.. and its comfortable.. and the chicks, which I found out on Canada Day (I'll write about that in a second) LOVE. But its fun as hell.. though Im the one, as usual who gets picked upon.. because of my hair and Rush.. but fuck them, they cut my hair in Ontario, I'll fuck em all over.. I have an imagination.. and the ability. But I doubt that they will cut it..I shall remain vigilant.

So Canada Day this year....GOOD TIME! Had to get up early and play in a parade a ways away, come back, and later go to Spruce Grove, right by my school and play a paid gig for celebrations.. and I was there untill 11.. we played at 6:30.. I saw so many people, lots of love and you look sexy and stuff from both random and people I know.. especially with my "John Lennon" sunglasses..But stayed there all night with a drummer friend and I got drunk and watched fireworks, which we 10x better while drunk..Note to self.. Buy a flask. :)

Now as of my Life goals.. what I have accomplished so far I don't remember them all but here's the jist of it..

1. Get a Volkswagen Microbus ------ ACCOMPLISHED! - 1961 Kombi
2. See Rush live in concert ----- 2DAYS!!! FROM NOW!
3. Move/get away from Edmonton/family.
4. Make it into EBPB pipe band ----- ACCOMPLISHED!
5. Be in a band ----- STARTED! - not accomplished yet.
6. Meet some special people.. (special to me.. not retarded people.. theres four of those living at my house)
7. Make your happy place actually happen.. (Yes Daria, its still the same happy place.. mostly)

Im not doing too bad at all!!!!!

an hour later and I still cant fucking sleep! Not even a little bit more tired.. This is fucking stupid..!?

Shit.. I can't believe I go away in 9 days...10 if you count the day I leave... damn..

Head Rush.

Peace for a long while again!

Been a long time long time long time long timeeeee since I wrote last. (I hate led zeppelin still , so please exuse the oddness of me starting with a quote from one of their many shitty songs. :) Anyway. Since.. Well JUNE 9TH (that long ago?!?!?!) I have... Worked at superstore, made over 2000 dollars, Gone to the Alberta Summer Games, gone to Regina, gone to Innisveil for pre Summer games training, had my sixteenth brithday (Sucked BALLS), finished that 1967 Volkswagen Microbus Doormobile  AND RODE IN IT. I put the last part on it! And I got to my hair length goal, and surpassed it. Geddy Lee length and style. anndd most importantly STARTED GOING TO SCHOOLLLLL!!!!!!

Just  a quickie for now.

Head Rush.
Peace, and Rock on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/HeadRush/SR400bass.jpg

Yes. And I'm going to go bald. When the playoffs are over. I am shaving my fucking head. And maybe I'll be making the person have "Fuck You" on the back of my head. Or "Head Rush".

   Bagpipes is done for another year. That means I have been playing for 5 complete years. Yep.

   Everyday my parents and I have been fighting and arguing and I have been ruining shirts and my door.. Like half an hour ago, I ripped my prized black EBPB hoodie in two, while I was wearing it. How fun indeed? Why, you ask? My parents complaining - again, that I don't do enough around this shit hole. Maybe because I'm doing homework all the fucking time to try to shut you up?! Well. We settled on one thing. I'm guarenteed that Im going to a real school next school year, WOW!. AND, they ask if I have a conscience. Who the fuck asks someone if they have a conscience?! AND my 'mom' can't even pronounce conscience correctly! HOLY FUCK. Well. Im going to school next year, so Im going to go to Stony Plain High School. Also. Over the summer I'm going to get a job, and work, and get PAID MONEY. Save up this money, buy a apartment or something, and probably share it with someone to save some money.

   Yesterday, I went and saw some people. Long story short, it was raining, we went inside this persons house, and sat around till 11:30pm. Then went outside, still raining. Chased some horses. (Note to self, never wear white pants to someone's place that lives with horses...) Looked at this person's future car.. Some ford taurus.. Brown (ew), no transmission (XDD), flat tires (well.. flat tires now), trunk with blowup dolls in it (found them there, we figure they're the father of this person's toys), lots of dents and no front grill. And we found some mouldy ganja in the glovebox. And a used broken condom. Quite the little car. Went back inside, listened to music while someone snorted pixie stix and old Mr Noodles flavor stuff, eveyone got kicked in the balls (except for the females..bitches), and made movies on cellphone. Also. I cannot speak properly around people anymore. Why not?

Head Rush.

Rock on, and peace. Kill your parents, or abandon them.

   BUM. Yet no equipment. 
   BUM. Not on the street. 
   BUM. Behind, yet not gay.
   BUM. BUM. Hmm. Close.
   BUMBUM. There...

   I love that song. The bass riff is easy, but fast and fun.. Scion XB's are wicked looking vehicles. I'm not sure where they're made, but they look eruropeean. They look really customized even at stock.. They are about the size of a normal sized car. Like an older civic. Tall as one too.

   Urgh, stupid useless mind wanderings.. I just want to mention a few things I missed in the last entry, or I didn't get a chance to write because the hockey game... Speaking of the hockey game.. OILERS WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE EDMONTON OILERS HAVE MADE IT INTO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 16 YEARS. LAST TIME (1990) THEY WON THE CUP. ALSO, A NEW NHL RECORD FOR THE FIRST TIME THE LOWEST SEATED TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS THE TEAM HAS MADE IT TO THE FINAL! WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! BLUE AND WHYTE AVE WAS GOING INSANE! People pushed the police out of the way and then thousands of people were on the street, partying, cheering, cars honking, some people even playing road hockey! Whyte ave is about 20 blocks, but the bars and resturaunts and stuff are all in about 10 blocks, and the 10 blocks were absolutly full the whole way.. amazing.. (I wouldn't say that people are happy about the Oilers going to the cup though... no no no..) I was jumping and cheering and calling everybody I knew (so I made about 4 phone calls 3 of which actually picked up..) I fell down the stairs once and up the stairs twice.. And I drank so much.. For a period of about 5 minutes I was enjoying myself by running and jumping at 2 walls, back and fourth.. It was a good night.. And then I went all out on MSN.. Laughing at Flames fans and rubbing it in their faces.. (almost spelt fecies instead of faces..) And yesterday, as you could(and maybe can) see in my display picture on msn, I have me, in a cardboard helmet and cardboard beard.. The beard was a pain in the ass to get on because of my hair...
Speaking of hair, I've been thinking about cutting my hair.. but I don't know what I'd cut it to.. I don't really want a buzz cut again, too many mullets, mushroom cuts are nasty.. Someone requested a real afro (I laughed about that for a long time).. Unlikely, but in consideration..

   On thursday, one of the days I went to work TWO weeks ago, I got off work, and found out I had forgotten my wallet at home. I was supposed to buy myself dinner at the mcdonalds. But I had gotten off work early. An hour early. It was 4 o'clock. I phoned my dad to come pick me up. He was already in the city. "Oh, I have to go to the north end first. I'll be there in about a half an hour." BULLL SHEEIIIT. I wonder how long 30 minutes is to him.. To my clock is was.. 2 hours. The whole shop and office closed at 5:20.. So I was stuck sitting around the place for an hour. But still OILERS IN THE FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

   During the banquet we had last saturday for my Nana, I met a person I had not seen for a very long time. And It was ironic almost, because a couple weeks before I had been talking about him. The only black person I have ever known in my life, I went to school with and sat beside him in about.. grade 3, 4, and five. Name: Sam. I have a picture of him somewhere. He was one of the people working at the Mayfield Inn. I was just getting some punch when I saw him, talking to the bar tender and another person. I took a quick glance, you know, then I doubled back to look more closely.. I said.. "Sam? Sorry to inturrupt, but I think I used to go to school with you.. he looked at me and was like.. "Stephen??" We shook hands, you know, asked, what've you been up to?, and stuff.. Crazy.. Crazy crazy crazy.. Such a crazy encounter. I didn't get to talk to him much, cause, he had to go. (work, you know.. or you don't know..). Crazy shit.. Craaazy shit. Yepp.. Im surprised he reconised me..And remembered my name...  wasn't I just wondering a while ago.. Who the hell remembers me? or something? I dunno, maybe not.. I remember back in grade three, this once time we were sitting during french, and on the overhead stand thing, the lights were off and they had the overhead thinger on, and it was between our desks, and there was a drawing on one of the shelves.. A bunch of pieces of paper taped toeach other.. The drawing was of a limo. "He's like, hey Stephen." "what?" "You see that picture there? I drew that!" Looking at it, "cool!" and then we got in trouble for talking during class. Hahahaha. I don't know why I remember that.

Anyway. There is a big thing I could write about, but fuck them, and that.

Head Rush.

Rock on, & Peace.